Wildlife tourism has expanded, making encounters with species like puffins on Irish islands and penguins in Antarctica more accessible. Visitors sometimes behave insensitively, such as carrying loud boomboxes near breeding birds. Puffins are a vulnerable species protected in Ireland, and human disturbance can be offensive and potentially harmful. Increased access raises concerns about stress, habitat disruption, and long-term impacts on animal populations. Responsible wildlife viewing practices and enforcement of protections are necessary to minimize disturbance. Tourism operators, visitors, and regulators share responsibility for ensuring that wildlife experiences do not compromise animal welfare. Education and strict guidelines can help balance access with conservation.
From puffins on Irish islands to penguins in Antarctica, more wildlife experiences than ever are within reach - but at what cost to the animals themselves?
I was boarding the boat to the Saltee Islands when I saw them - a group of people lugging a giant boombox down the dock, the kind that blares music at an unnecessarily thunderous volume.
It would be offensive in a park or on the beach, but we were going to see the island's puffins, a vulnerable species that's protected in Ireland.
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